Post COVID-19 and new hybrid ways of working, over a third of all global office desks are empty all week, according to Bloomberg. What’s not spoken about is that each empty office chair ‘costs’ about 72 kg CO2e in carbon to make. Collectively, office furniture has a major environmental impact, accounting for about 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. And now, much of it is sitting in storage or piling up in local landfills, as it often costs more to fix than to replace. As most of it is made from petroleum-derived synthetic materials, it quickly becomes one of the planet's greatest polluters.
Recognising this, JLL and Tétris collaborated with Sanlam to find creative ways to repurpose furniture to be sustainable and future fit. Sarene Nel, MD of Tétris, says, “This exhibition celebrates the power of design and creativity to help us reimagine possible solutions. By partnering with leading clients, designers and suppliers, we can make positive change. Our goal is to reduce waste and create efficiencies that work for the environment and the community.”
Tétris commissioned big-name local African creators – including Patrick Bongoy (shortlisted for the 2024 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in Paris), Laurie Wiid (Wiid Design), Hoven Design, Ananta Design Studio, and the Tétris Global and South African teams – to craft bespoke repurposed art pieces from Sanlam’s outdated office furniture. The artists were invited to select the office items they wanted to work with, with each artwork scored for its sustainability.
The result is a 2050 workplace wonderland, with crocheted cassette tape fronds hanging from a repurposed dustbin chandelier, next to a giant Helix Swing with swing seats made from desk legs. An Oxygen Farm Work Pod – ironically crafted from discarded COVID-19 desk dividers – offers a breath of fresh air, close to an upcycled cabinet, with a handy seed library for the preservation of plants. Nearby, a towering tentacled floor lamp rises from 82 bookshelves and 100 blue bins. It’s a veritable playground of possibility.